Euphoria
by Shining Zephyr
Summary: Set during DT: 'Back in Black.' After being "retired" for a couple years, Tommy Oliver gets back in on the action... and experiences a long-lost adrenaline rush in the heat of a battle.


**In my Math 4 class (Pre-calculus), I decided to come up with this. It's kind of an introspective fic. _KIND OF_. I'm working on Tommy's characterization here...make that _trying. _It's been hard since my parents never let you watch Power Rangers when I was younger, and even now, I've seen only Dino Thunder. (It's all YouTube's fault!)**

**Eh, spoilers for PRDT, Episode 501: _Back in Black._ **

**That being said, I don't own the Power Rangers. That belongs to Saban. **

* * *

Euphoria

"Such negativity," the villainess told the rangers lightly, shaking her head in amusement. "Haven't you learned that in our world,_ anything's_ possible?"

Zeltrax, despite having no face remotely close to that of a human's, seemed to smirk in triumph. "Even the destruction of the great Doctor Tommy Oliver!"

In the midst of this little scene- between the saddened rangers, a pair of evil criminals, and some mutated bionic clones- Tommy stood invisible to the human eyes, his hand wrapped around the small piece of rock that had shattered from the larger boulder he had stolen from Mesogog's lab. He couldn't help but give a cocky smile as he materialized in front of the small party of twenty- including the Pollinator and the Tyrannodrones. "I heard my name," he announced, clutching the gem. "You missed me, didn't you, Zeltrax?"

Gasps of surprise and "ooohs" emerged from the side of evil as the Dino Thunder team ran up in surprised happiness to see their mentor once again. Conner was the first to welcome back the new science teacher. "Awesome!"

"Right on!" Kira agreed.

Ethan let out a laugh. "You made it!"

Conner grabbed his mentor's right hand and glanced down at it, seemingly confused and amazed. "Hey… Dr. O. What's this?"

Tommy's hand opened up. To their amazement, a black gem lay in his hand, shining with a strange golden light. Tommy could practically _see_ the wheels in Ethan's head turning as he figured out what the heck had just happened. "A black dino gem!" he stated excitedly. "Let me guess… the power of invisibility!"

The new science teacher smiled in the students' directions. "Looks like it."

"That gem belongs to my master!" Elsa suddenly interrupted, looking highly annoyed.

Tommy clenched his hand, giving the villains an amused glare. "There's two things you guys need to know about dino gems," he informed them, a shiver running down his back slightly. He could feel it coming. "One- you can't choose them: they choose you."

She looked confused momentarily. They had a lot of data about the gems, but none of this had ever really occurred to her before. "What's the other?" she asked curiously, keeping her evil glare on the three rangers who stood before her.

He placed his fist up near his chest, a sort of morpher appearing around his wrist. It almost appeared to be the head of a Brachiosaurus in black and gold, but Elsa couldn't exactly tell in the sunlight. The legendary ranger's face morphed into a grin. "They go _real _well with dino morphers."

In a flash, he had taken his right hand and slapped it up against the device, the dino gem infusing itself into the bracelet. Tommy looked triumphantly at Elsa, who merely rocked on the balls of her feet and snickered. A feeling of worry arose from her stomach, but she kept her voice calm. "Hmph. Aren't you a little _old_ for this, _Tommy?_"

The feeling began to rush through him again as he cocked his head. "I may be old," he admitted, "But I can still pull it off."

With this, he lifted the morpher, showed the key, and yelled out, "Dino Thunder, power up!"

With one twist of the key, a flash of light, and a triumphant yell later, Tommy stood in front of his students, taking a battle stance. "Dino Thunder, Black Ranger!"

Kira shook her head in astonishment. "Awesome!"

Zeltrax merely shifted his stance. He didn't seem that impressed.

Tommy straightened up slightly and nodded towards the villains, grinning. "Just like riding a bike!" he quipped.

The male enemy clenched up slightly. "One more makes no difference," he growled lowly and pointed his weapon at the four heroes. "Attack!"

Everything moved at once.

* * *

So, he didn't want to admit it to himself completely, but he did anyway.

It was kind of nice to be back in a black spandex outfit.

Tommy Oliver had never really felt complete unless he had ranger powers. Don't get the guy wrong- he needed a break. After fighting evil for quite a number of years, he had been happy to get back to his old life of being just a normal person with having to worry about exams, but not monsters. College had taken a great deal out of him, as had getting his doctrate. Then came working with Anton, the island, and now the gems.

As he eyed the Tyrannodrones momentarily, the adrenaline began to pump.

Realizing that he was alone against impossible odds for what seemed like the millionth time in his life, Tommy made a beeline right for the center of the group.

The euphoria of battle seemed to wash over him as he whirled around, punching and kicking creatures from left to right. He hadn't felt this way in quite a long time, and it seemed to relieve him on how he really felt sometimes- stressed out. He grinned. It actually felt kind of nice to be taking this all out on some freakish weirdos who worked for his nemesis instead of yelling at the top of his lungs in the lab.

Having finally dispatched the last Tyrannodrone, Tommy glanced around and heard a cry from behind him. Zeltrax had leapt up and tried to slay Tommy from behind. His instincts kicked into overdrive, and he whirled around at the noise behind him. His arm blocked the downward thrust, but this left him wide open for a kick to the chest. Groaning slightly and moving backwards, Tommy pulled out his weapon. "Brachio-Staff!"

Zeltrax snickered. "Let's see what you're made of."

Everything had to end in violence. And somehow, that didn't surprise him. The euphoria rush was calming down now, but there were still pulses from time to time. At only thirty-two years of age, Tommy Oliver was ready for a lot of thing that average people weren't prepared for- a battle on solid grass with an enemy he never exactly knew he had.

What was Zeltrax's beef with him, anyway?

All other thought pushed aside and merely focusing on the battle before him, Tommy brought the Brachio-Staff into an upright position. "Give it up, Zeltrax!" he shouted.

"Never!" his foe roared in return, racing towards the Black Ranger.

One other thought crossed his mind as he began to meet Zeltrax blow for blow.

'Must every villain run towards a hero with some battle cry, a grudge against humanity, and proceed to take his anger out on his foe?'

The adrenaline overtook him once again as he swung his staff left and right. Back and forth the two combatants fought, neither one seemingly getting tired. Tommy had a pretty decent idea that he was winning, until Zeltrax proceeded to kick him in the chest once again, forcing him back. He gave a short laugh. "Is that all you've got, _Black Ranger?_" he snorted.

"Gimmie a break," Tommy shot back, shrugging. "It's been a while."

And in a few seconds, the dance continued. Both men were yelling at the top of their voices, the weapons clanging together.

This was becoming annoying.

Now Tommy wanted to _win._ Then again, when hadn't he ever had that feeling?

His stupid adrenaline was talking for him again.

He landed on his back, groaning slightly and flipped himself up, holding his staff out in front of him. 'Time to end this battle,' he thought.

He brought his foot into Zeltrax's back, swinging himself around and repeating the motion. Finally, a swift kick to the chest… and the creature went flying back into a metallic platform. Tommy panted slightly- he hadn't even thought about the last time he had battle like this, with the exception of the escape off the island. And even _that_ was worse than right now.

The island had been _blowing up_, for god's sake.

The truth was it had been a while since Tommy had been a ranger.

And he couldn't have felt more alive in the outfit he had grown so accustomed to over the years.

* * *

**Eh heh… -laughs- That turned out a lot more different than I thought it would. Anyways, thanks for reading, and feel free to review. Maybe it'll help me for future fics!**


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